Teachers need to be better paid for the tech revolution

Thursday, 7 June 2018

Photo: Kendall Flutey

Teachers need to be better paid as they adjust to educating kids in the fastest growing sector in New Zealand, - technology, an award-winning Maori chief executive of a fast growing ed-tech company says.

Kendall Flutey, who runs Christchurch company Banqer, says one of her main concerns facing education and schools dealing with technology is that teachers are underpaid and overworked.

Flutey will be one of the speakers at the New Zealand education and technology summit in Auckland on July 3 and 4.

The event has attracted New Zealand’s top education experts to discuss how digital technology has begun impacting on education. Teachers, principals, educators, policy makers, publishers and tech leaders who are taking Kiwi education to the next level are leading the two-day event at Unitec Auckland.

Flutey says another concern she has with ed-tech is that people are confusing digital consumption with digital production.

“They're not the same, we want our students to be producers because it's easy to get caught up in gimmicky tech.

“The other remaining stigma is around girls and tech. We urgently need more females to get into tech as a career. People are doing awesome mahi (work) in this space, but this issue needs to be quashed. It's the last thing we need. Women who get into tech are doing amazing things.

“On the positive side, we are seeing an increasing personal approach to learning, mindfulness and other peripheral skills that develop the learner softer skills.

“In coding, students are great consumers of tech, but they need to become the producers and leaders to really thrive.”

Flutey says to crank up to the digital revolution in New Zealand, businesses, organisations and people need to reduce barriers, be it devices, literacy, confidence or capabilities.

She says New Zealand needs to ensure educators are comfortable in the digital world and creating a digital-centric educational environment is critical. Flutey will speak to the summit next month on teaching children about money and personal finances and expanding ed-tech into Australia.

Her company partners Kiwibank helping more than 63,000 students in Australasia teaching students about saving, investing, borrowing and purchasing by turning the classroom into a virtual economy.

The July summit will look at issues such as examining future models of learning, using data to inform better student outcomes, and addressing the digital divide.

The keynote international speaker in Professor Alec Couros of the University of Regina in Canada. He helps undergraduate and graduate students embrace educational technology.